Ralph Frederick Nordstrom

Astoria native, 86Ralph Frederick Nordstrom, 86, of Astoria, died Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004, in Astoria.

Mr. Nordstrom was born Aug. 16, 1918, in Astoria to Fred Otto and Mathilda Elfreda (Carlson) Nordstrom.

Mr. Nordstrom graduated from Astoria High School in 1936. He worked as a machine shop welder with City Iron Works. He served in the U.S. Navy from June 1942 to December 1945. He returned to Astoria and worked for a pile driving company.

On June 6, 1948, he married Margaret A. Jensen in Astoria. She died earlier.

The Nordstroms lived in Portland for a couple years, but returned to Astoria in 1950. Mr. Nordstrom worked for the U.S. government as a civil service employee doing construction for the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1987, he retired. He enjoyed traveling, fishing, rock collecting and his gun collection. He was a member of Peace Lutheran Church, Clatsop Post 12 American Legion, the Columbia River Maritime Museum and Clatsop County Historical Society.

Mr. Nordstrom is survived by one son, Robert Nordstrom of Astoria; a daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Jim Yonker of Seattle; two granddaughters and their husbands, Corinne and Dax Powell and Elisabeth and Geoff Myers, all of Seattle; one great-granddaughter, Emma Powell of Seattle; one sister, Doris Crowell of Tacoma, Wash.; three nephews, Ken Crowell of Texas and Nels and Peder Jensen, both of Montana; three nieces, Barbara Crowell of Tacoma; Osa Hansine Zayauskas of Chicago and Sigrid Jensen of Montana; and two aunts, Edith Carlson of Milton-Freewater and Helene Carlson of Astoria.

A memorial will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 8 at Peace Lutheran Church.

Interment will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Peace Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 565 12th St., Astoria, OR 97103, Lower Columbia Hospice, 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, OR 97103 or to Clatsop County Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Astoria, OR 97103.

Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.